All 3 defendants in 2013 Highland Park murder get Feb. 9 trial date

Their cases lagged for a variety of reasons this year, but separate murder trials for all three defendants in the 2013 murder of Highland Park 20-year-old Colin Nutter are now scheduled for Feb. 9.

Assistant State’s Attorney Reginald Mathews, the lead prosecutor in the case, said Monday that the state will be ready for trials in February. It remains unclear, however, if any of the defense attorneys would be ready for that trial call, Mathews said.

The case against 18-year-old defendant Philip Vatamaniuc was set back several months because his previous attorney was disqualified due to a conflict of interest. Vatamaniuc, of Highland Park, hired attorney Patrick Quilty in October to replace Robert Ritacca.

Plea deal negotiations stood in the way of a trial against Highland Park 19-year-old Michael Coffee, who ultimately rejected a proposal.

According to prosecutors, Vatamaniuc, Coffee and Highwood 21-year-old Benjamin Schenk arranged to buy marijuana from Nutter in early June 2013. The meeting allegedly took place in Nutter’s car, where he was shot and died of a gunshot wound to the head in an apparent robbery attempt, authorities said.

A jogger found Nutter’s body June 3, 2013, in brush near the Edens Expressway south of the intersection of Old Glenview Road and Briar Drive in Wilmette.

All three defendants have pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, which carries a sentence of 20 to 60 years in prison upon conviction.

Vatamaniuc and Schenk both face a firearm enhancement charge, which claims that each is the shooter in the murder. The enhancement can significantly lengthen a prison sentence.